Managing Staff for Improved Performance provides a comprehensive guide to people management in schools, giving school leaders and managers clear insights into how to develop employee performance and ensure high quality service in education. Middlewood and Abbott explore human resource management (HRM) theory and practice, drawing on examples from a wide-range of school contexts across many different countries. They examine what is meant by all levels of performance, from excellent to poor, and offer strategies for evaluating the performance of all staff - starting with the school leader. The authors also explore a range of issues including recruitment, performance-related pay, working with unions and other professional organisations, engaging stakeholders and the thorny issues around dismissal procedures. Throughout this comprehensive guide for aspiring and practising school leaders, the emphasis is on taking a proactive and positive approach with a view to developing a culture within the organisation which only accepts very effective performance, and supports the style and approach of the school leader.